Finding more fuel efficient modes of transport has been at the top of the priority list for most manufacturers, who have been designing and building electric vehicles, and discovering new ways to power cars, so that their design is environmentally friendly. But it is not only cars that have seen innovative technology come their way, as electric superbikes have also been strutting their stuff on the racetrack. However, gasoline powered superbikes have never come up against electric superbikes and, as the latest electric superbike is too heavy to compete against other electric superbikes, it will be making history next year.

The new electric superbike, design and created by the American company Swigz Racing, will be put to the test on the track this year. It will be preparing to face-off against gasoline powered superbikes at the Auto Club Speedway (California) in a specially organized race, on 9 January 2011.

“We have to thank WERA Motorcycle Roadracing for inviting us into their series to make history with this news. Our electric motorcycle will compete head on with real racing superbikes such as the Ducati 1198 and KTM RC8 as well as other established manufacturers, and we expect to work hard to show the world that electric technology can achieve laptime parity with gasoline superbikes. We’re not going on track to make up the numbers; we’re going out to compete in order to raise our game and catch up to these gasoline guys,” said owner of Swigz Racing, Chip Yates, who is also the rider of the new superbike. The 194 hp and 400Nm superbike does not qualify to participate in electric superbike events, as the new rules for the TTGP Championship and FIM Championship now stipulate that the bikes need to weigh in at a maximum of 250 kilograms, whereas the new electric superbike weighs 266 kilograms.

Yates is not concerned about the exclusion, as his new bike has outdone the 600 cc superbikes in the power to weight ratio features, and even though its technology has made the bike heavier than competing electric superbikes, there is the WERA Pirelli Sportsman Heavyweight Twins Superbike class to look forward to. Permitting the new electric superbike to compete against standard gasoline superbikes, will allow manufacturers to continue developing and promoting the electric superbike, and most importantly, show the world what an electric superbike can do.